GSAB Minutes
December 13, 2010
Greenville Centre 3:30-5:00
Members Present: Behm, Michael; Decker, Jim; Ericson, Richard; Gemperline, Paul; Holte, Jim; Hough, Monica; Kasperek, George; Mott, Vivian; Pokorny, Marie; Schwager, Paul; Sprague, Mark; Thompson, Tony and Terry West
Members Absent: Curran, Richard; Gallagher, Margie, and Laura Prividera
Ex-Officio Member Present: Linner Griffin
Ex-Officio Members Absent: Dave Cistola
Guests Present: Armstrong, Robin; Atkinson, Terry; McConnell, Tom; Patterson, Belinda and Heather Ries
1. Call to order
3:30 pm
Dr. Gemperline began by introducing the guests from the Academic Integrity Council: Maggie Olszewska, William Joseph Thomas, and Likkia Moody. The GSAB was updated on proposed revisions to the Academic Integrity Policy, as the revised policy goes to the Admission and Retention Policies Committee for a vote, before moving to the Faculty Senate.
2. Vote on approval of November 22, 2010 minutes
Approved
3. Requests for Approval of Exceptions
a. Approval of request for excess ECU non-degree credit
· Public Administration, MPA Approved
b. Approval of request for time extensions
· Educational Leadership, EdD Approved
· Criminal Justice, MS Approved
c. Repeat courses for health care administration certificate (Pat Royal and Xiaming Zeng)
· Student earned 2 C’s in health care administration certificate program
· Retention policy in the Graduate Catalog applies to degree seeking and certificate students (student must complete credential with a 3.0 GPA)
· Policy on retaking courses is no longer documented in the Graduate Catalog; therefore a student appeal may be successful
· The GSAB recommended the graduate faculty of the program meet and recommend an outcome
· Tabled pending further information
d. Accredited institutions and acceptance into ECU Graduate School, student letter requesting appeal of decision
· Institution where student earned degree is not accredited by one of the 4 major regional accrediting bodies but is accredited by CHEA (recognized by the Department of Education)
· Admission requirements specifically states degree earned must be from regionally accredited colleges and universities
· The current process at the Graduate Admissions office is to hold any applications that do not meet the regional accreditation requirements
· Admitting students from a non-regionally accredited school could potentially portray ECU negatively
· Denied
4. Revised Academic Integrity Policy
· Alleged academic integrity violation caused Dr. Gemperline to revisit the Academic Integrity policy. Policy does not cover academic violations that occur in a non-course setting
· Suggestion to revise policy to address academic integrity issues in a non-course setting and to allow programs to dismiss a student for a severe academic integrity violation
· Suggestion to place a blanket statement regarding academic integrity in the Graduate Catalog
· Revised policy approved
5. Admissions Topics
*All items have been endorsed by the Graduate Assembly
a. Requiring an Evaluated transcript for international degrees (non-English)
· Credentialing services ensure students submit valid transcripts
· Proliferation of false documentation making it increasingly difficult for the admission processor to recognize fraudulent documents
· For most services, credentialing takes about a week at a cost of $125 per transcript (once evaluated the same transcript can be used to apply to multiple schools)
· Aiming for a 2012 requirement
· Request by GSAB to include implementation details (specific language) in written form before GSAB approval
b. Change spring international deadline to September 1 from October 15th
· It requires an increasingly longer time for visa documents to be processed for international students therefore the earlier deadline will encourage students to submit materials earlier
· Approved
c. Accepting the Pearson Test of English (in addition to TOEFL & IELTS)
· Provides students with another English language testing option that is equivalent to the TOEFL and IELTS
· Approved
6. Request concerning admission requirements for KIST students from Rwanda
· Requested by the Department of Computer Science at the request of the representative of Rwanda to accept students in the graduate professional track with 5 years experience (officially require 10 years of professional experience to be admitted) in the software field
· Students will be enrolled online in the software engineering program
· Courses completed at ECU will transfer to the their home university
· Estimating 40-50 students participating
· Concern expressed by GSAB regarding waived TOEFL scores and English language competency (current plan for English language competency to be assessed in interviews)
· Recommendation to show proof of English language competency by requiring students to submit TOEFL scores, IELTS scores or a certificate of English proficiency from their language academy and to waive GRE scores for persons with 5 or more years of professional experience
o Approved with edits
7. Consideration of request for revision of ‘Probation and Termination Policies’ letter from student
· Students with a GPA below 3.0 are placed on academic probation
· Students on probation have a hold issued to their account preventing them from registration
· Classes recommended to this student by advisor were not available because the registration hold prevented student from registering before the classes filled, therefore student registered for other classes
· Dr. Gemperline presented letter to the GSAB to make aware of the situation and to ask for recommendations on how to implement probation holds, although no clear resolution apparent at the present time
8. Vote on approval of 11/17/10 GCC minutes
Action Items:
· Proposal of new course: HIST 6890
· Renumbering and revision of existing courses: HIST 5515, HIST 5525
· Title revision only of existing course: HIST 6840
· Revision of existing degree: MA in Maritime Studies
· Deletion of Banked courses: HIST 5130, 5121, 5150, 5210, 5460, 5770
· Prerequisite revision of existing course: EXSS 6445
· Renumbering and revision of existing course: HLTH 5002
· Approved
9. Graduate Program Director’s Handbook
· Handbook will be continuously revised (not a policy manual)
· Send any recommendations for revisions to Tom McConnell
· The Graduate School will begin holding discussions with departments regarding handbook
· A separate handbook will be developed for thesis directors
10. Adjourn : 5:20 pm
Next meeting: January 10, 2010